Tyre judged as representing the world and its riches

Although in a certain sense upon Israel's territory, Tyre has another
character, and is the subject of a separate prophecy (chaps. 26-28),
because it represents the world and its riches, in contrast with
Israel as the people of God; and rejoices, not like the others from
personal hatred, but because (having opposite interests) the
destruction of that which restrained its career gave free course to
its natural selfishness. It is worthy of remark in these prophecies,
how God lays open all the thoughts of man with respect to His people
and that which they have been towards Him.

Tyre's ill-will to God's people and city judged

In chapter 27, Tyre is judged for its ill-will to the people and the
city of God. It is overthrown as a worldly system, and all that formed
its glory disappears before the breath of Jehovah.

The prince and king of Tyre judged for their pride

In chapter 28 it is the prince and the king of Tyre that are judged
for their pride. Verses 1-10 set before us the prince of this world's
glory as a man, exalting himself and seeking to present himself as a
god, having acquired riches and glory by his wisdom. Verses 11-19,
while continuing to speak of Tyre, go, I think, much farther, and
disclose, though darkly, the fall and the ways of Satan, become
through our sin the prince and god of this world. The prince of Tyre
represents Tyre and the spirit of Tyre. The verses which follow
(11-19) are much more personal. I do not doubt that, historically,
Tyre itself is referred to; verses 16-19 prove it. But, I repeat, the
mind of the Spirit goes much farther. The world and its kings are
presented as the garden of Jehovah on account of the advantages they
enjoy. (The outward government of God is in question, which till then
had recognised the different nations around Israel). This however
applies more especially to Tyre, which was situated in the territory
of Israel, in Emmanuel's land, and which, in the person of Hiram, had
been allied with Solomon, and had even helped to build the temple. Its
guilt was proportionate. It is the world in relation with God, and if
the prince of Tyre represents this state of things as being the world,
and a world that has been highly exalted in its capabilities by this
position -- an exaltation of which it boasts in deifying itself, the
king represents the position itself in which, under this aspect, the
world has been placed, and the forsaking of which gives it the
character of apostasy. It is this character which gives occasion for
the declaration of the enemy's apostasy contained in these verses. He
had been where the plants of God flourished [1] , he had been covered
with precious stones (that is to say, with all the variety of beauty
and perfection, in which the light of God is reflected and transformed
when manifested in, and with respect to, creation). Here the varied
reflection of these perfections had been in the creature: a creature
was the means of their manifestation. It was not light, properly so
called. (God is light; Christ is the light here below, and so far as
He lives in us, we are light in Him). It was the effect of light
acting in the creature, like a sunbeam in a prism. It is a development
of its beauty, which is not its essential perfection, but which
proceeds from it.

The characteristics of the king of Tyre; his fall

The following are the features of the king of Tyre's character, or
that of the enemy of God, the prince of this world. He is the anointed
cherub -- he is covered with precious stones -- he has been in Eden
the paradise of God, upon the mountain of God -- he walked in the
midst of the stones of fire -- he was perfect in his ways until
iniquity was found in him. He is cast out of the mountain of God on
account of his iniquities; his heart was lifted up because of his
beauty, and he corrupted himself. Farther, we find that which, as to
the creature, is most exalted; he acts in the judicial government of
God according to the intelligence of God (this is the character of the
anointed cherub). He is clothed with the moral beauty that variously
reflects the character of God as light [2] . He is recognised among
the plants of God, in which God displayed His wisdom and His power in
creation, according to His good pleasure, as Creator. He had been
there also where the authority of God was exercised -- on the mountain
of God. He walked where the moral perfections of God were displayed in
their glory, a glory before which evil could not stand -- "the
stones of fire." His ways had been perfect. But all these
advantages were the occasion of his fall, and characterised it. For
the privileges we enjoy always characterise our fall. Whence have we
fallen? is the question; for it is the having failed there, when we
possessed it, that degrades our condition. Moreover it is not an
outward temptation, as in man's case -- a circumstance which did not
indeed take away man's guilt, but which modified its character.
"Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty." He exalted
himself against God, and he was cast out as profane from the mountain
of God. His spirit, independent in security, was humbled when he was
cast to the ground. His nakedness is manifested to all; his folly
shall in the end be apparent to all.

The judgment of Sidon; Israel's safety

The judgment of Sidon is added. And then, all hope having been taken
from Israel, when the judgment of the nations is accomplished, God
gathers them and causes them to dwell in their land in peace for ever.

[1] We may see, chapter 31: 8, 9, 16, that this is a description
of the kings of the earth, at least before Nebuchadnezzar, who first
substituted one sole dominion given by God, for the many kings of the
nations recognised by God as the result of Babel, and in the centre of
which His people were placed, to make the government of God known
through their means. The special relation of Tyre with Israel added
something to the position of the merchant city, and gave room also for
the use made here of the history of its king as a type or figure of
the prince of this world.

[2] Observe that this takes place in the creature. In the case of Aaron,
the type of Christ as priest, it exists in the absolute perfection of
grace, which presents us to God according to His perfection in the
light. It is afterwards seen in the glory as the foundation of the
city, the bride, the Lamb's wife, in the Revelation. That is, these
stones present the fruit of perfect light -- what God is in His nature
shining in and through the creature, in creation, grace, and glory.